National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22230
Title: Cooperative Activity with Department of Energy Programs for
Education and Human Resource Development -- "Dear Colleague Letter"
Office of the
Assistant Director for
Education and Human Resources
Dear Colleague:
The Principal Investigators (PIs) of National Science Foundation (NSF)
awards managed by one of the NSF programs serving STEM education that often
has participation by faculty, undergraduate students and/or pre-service
teachers (see list below) are invited to consider participating in a
cooperative effort between NSF and the Department of Energy (DoE) Office of
Science:
Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT)
Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST)
Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships (CSEMS)
Gender Diversity in STEM Education (GDSE)
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program
(HBCU-UP)
Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
Math and Science Partnership (MSP): Comprehensive and Targeted Projects
NSF Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP)
Research on Disabilities Education (RDE)
Robert Noyce Scholarship Program
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation
(STEMTP)
Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) Program
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)
To support the continued leadership of the United States in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the continued
development of a competitive, diverse STEM workforce, NSF and DoE are
implementing collaboration between the agencies' programs for the
development of human resources in STEM. As an immediate result of this
effort, during FY 2004 NSF will support students and faculty from
participating NSF projects (see list above) who are accepted as
participants in one of four DoE initiatives that provide hands-on research
opportunities in DoE national laboratories during the summer: Science
Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI), Faculty and Student Teams
(FaST), Community College Institutes (CCI), and Pre-Service Teacher (PST)
Internships. You are invited to encourage appropriate students and faculty
to apply to DoE for these opportunities and, if DoE approves their
applications, to then request supplemental funding from NSF to support
their participation. (Please note: specific instructions for applying to
DoE and for requesting supplemental funding from NSF are in the
attachment.)
A description of the opportunities is attached. SULI and CCI are designed
for college students who could benefit from working in an advanced
scientific research environment, FaST includes faculty and student teams in
that opportunity, and PST internships target students who are preparing to
become teachers of science, mathematics, and technology at elementary and
secondary schools.
In FY 2004, undergraduate students (two-year and four-year schools) may
apply to DoE to participate in SULI or PST internships. Students enrolled
in community colleges may participate in CCI or SULI, and, if they are
pre-service teachers, PST. Faculty and student teams may participate in
FaST. The amounts targeted for the NSF supplements for this cooperative
activity are $4,500 for each student (allocated as ten weekly stipends of
$400, and up to $500 for travel), and up to 2/9 academic year salary (up to
$12,000) for faculty. NSF will support up to 91 students and 13 faculty,
pending the availability of funds. Up to $1,000 in additional participant
support may be requested as reasonable accommodation for
unusual/extraordinary travel expenses incurred by persons with
disabilities. This additional request must be included and justified in the
submitted budget. DoE indicates that it provides reasonable accommodation
at its research facilities.
Applications are reviewed by DoE beginning February 1, 2004. If DoE accepts
the applicants, you may forward a formal request for supplemental funding
to NSF. This supplement request should be submitted as soon as possible but
by 5 pm (submitter’s local time), March 30, 2004.
We hope that you will give serious consideration to encouraging appropriate
students and faculty to apply for the DoE initiatives and subsequently
applying to NSF for a supplement to support the participants. As always, we
cannot guarantee that a supplement request will be granted, but we will
strive to fund as many as possible.
Sincerely,
Judith A. Ramaley
Assistant Director
Education and Human Resources
Attachment: Opportunities for NSF/EHR Grantee Participation in Programs of
the Department of Energy Office of Science
OPPORTUNITIES FOR NSF/EHR GRANTEE PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAMS
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) target undergraduate
students who have not had an opportunity to work in an advanced scientific
research environment, especially students belonging to groups
underrepresented in fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology. The SULI program incorporates both an individually mentored
research component and a set of enrichment activities, which include
lectures, classroom activities, career guidance and planning, and field
trips. Additional information is available on the Web at
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/erulf/about.html.
Grantees of participating NSF/EHR STEM programs may request supplements to
support the participation of undergraduate students in the SULI program.
NSF provides stipend and travel support of $4,500 per student.
Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) provides opportunities for college
professors and students to participate in a 10-week highly interactive and
stimulating immersion experience in a research environment in a DoE
laboratory. This program encourages a sustainable professional relationship
between the faculty and laboratory investigators. Workshops and training
minimize the "culture shock" of working in a national laboratory setting.
Additional information is available on the Web at
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/sci_ed.htm and click on "Faculty and
Student Teams Program."
Grantees of participating NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting undergraduate
students may request supplements to support the participation of
faculty-student teams in the FaST initiative. NSF provides up to 2/9
academic year salary (up to $12,000) per faculty member for up to thirteen
college faculty members (nationwide). Each faculty member who is selected
to participate will select up to three undergraduate students to join the
research team; NSF provides stipend and travel support of $4,500 per
student.
Community College Institutes (CCI) places students from community colleges
in paid internships in Science and Engineering and Technology. Because of
the comprehensive nature of this program many of the participants have felt
it has had an enormous influence on their careers. Students work with
scientists or engineers on projects related to the laboratories' research
programs. They also attend career planning and numerous
training/informational sessions. Additional information is available on the
Web at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/CCI/about.html.
Grantees of participating NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting
community/two-year college students may request supplements to support the
participation of undergraduate students in the CCI program. NSF provides
stipend and travel support of $4,500 per student.
Pre-Service Teacher (PST) Internships target students who are preparing to
become teachers of science, mathematics, and technology at elementary and
secondary schools. In addition to the research component found in the SULI
program, the students are guided by a resident Master Teacher to learn how
to transfer their newfound scientific research expertise to the classroom.
This culminates in each student writing an educational module based on his
or her research, which incorporates science standards and benchmarks.
Additional information is available on the Web at
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/PST/about.htm.
Grantees of participating NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting students in
pre-service STEM teacher education may request supplements to support the
participation students in the PST Internships program. NSF provides stipend
and travel support of $4,500 per student.
For participants in all four initiatives, DoE provides support for housing,
laboratory safety training, local travel, and other program costs.
During FY 2004, grantees of participating NSF programs may encourage
students and faculty members to apply to participate in the DoE initiatives
(SULI, FaST, CCI, or PST Internships). Once a DoE applicant has accepted an
offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent by DoE to notify the PI. The PI
may then request supplemental funding from NSF.
APPLYING TO DoE
Applications are reviewed by DoE beginning February 1, 2004.
SULI: NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) are asked to identify students who
have the potential to benefit significantly from the research participation
offered by the SULI program. These students should complete the SULI
application on the DoE Office of Science Web site at
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/erulf/about.html. This form has a
check box where students should indicate that they are affiliated with one
of the participating NSF programs (including the grant award number, the
PI's name, and the PI's e-mail address). Once a DoE applicant has accepted
an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent by DoE to notify the PI. The
PI may then request supplemental funding from NSF.
FaST: NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) are asked to identify faculty
members associated with one of the participating NSF/EHR grant programs to
apply to the FaST Program. Faculty from colleges and universities with
limited prior research capabilities and those institutions serving
populations underrepresented in the fields of science, engineering and
technology are encouraged to take advantage of the FaST opportunity to
prepare students for careers in science, engineering, computer science, and
technology and for their own professional development.
Along with information about the DoE program, the web site
includes a downloadable DoE application
for the faculty and student team members and laboratory project
descriptions. Faculty should review the DoE FaST project descriptions and
identify opportunities for which they are qualified, interested, and
willing to make a commitment. Faculty applicants may contact laboratory
Science Education directors for additional information on the project prior
to submitting the application.
Download and submit an application to DoE, Office of Science, FaST program
manager, Sue Ellen Walbridge at sue-ellen.walbridge@science.doe.gov.
Faculty members should select the project of interest to them and complete
the application. Once a FaST team has been selected by a lab and has
accepted the offer, the NSF PI will be notified by DoE by e-mail. The PI
may then request an NSF supplement.
CCI: NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) are asked to identify two-year
college students who have the potential to benefit significantly from the
research participation offered by the CCI program. These students should
complete the CCI application on the DoE Office of Science Web site at
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/CCI/about.html. This form has a check box
where students should indicate that they are affiliated with one of the
participating NSF programs (including the grant award number, the PI's
name, and the PI's e-mail address). Once a DoE applicant has accepted an
offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent by DoE to notify the PI. The PI
may then request supplemental funding from NSF.
PST Internships: Grantees of participating NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting
students in pre-service STEM teacher education are asked to identify
students who have the potential to benefit significantly from the research
participation offered by the PST Internships program. These students should
complete the PST Internships application on the DoE Office of Science Web
site at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/PST/about.html..
Once a DoE applicant has accepted an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be
sent by DoE to notify the PI. The PI may then request supplemental funding
from NSF.
REQUESTING SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FROM NSF
After DoE notifies the NSF PI that the DoE application has been approved,
the PI may then submit a request for supplemental funding to NSF. This
request should conform to the procedure outlined in NSF's Grant Policy
Manual, Section 264 (see
http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/cpo/gpm95/ch2.htm#ch2-19).
NSF's FastLane system should be used to prepare and submit these requests
for supplemental funding (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp). The
requests should be submitted as soon as notification of application
acceptance by DoE is received, but must be submitted by 5 pm (submitter’s
local time), March 30, 2004.
To request the supplement, the PI should use the FastLane Proposals, Awards
& Status function. The Supplemental Funding Request may be accessed via the
Award and Reporting Functions. In the Supplemental Funding Request, the PI
should complete:
Justification For Supplement: a brief (one-page) statement justifying
participation in the relevant DoE initiative (e.g., alignment of the
planned research with the overall program goals). Note that decisions will
be based on the evaluation of submittals through use of the standard NSB
Merit Review Criteria, and will take into account the quality of the
proposed work and its expected benefits to the students and faculty
participating.
Supplementary Docs: a copy of the notification from DoE that the students
and/or faculty have been accepted.
Budgets (Including Justification): a budget for travel and stipend. On the
budget page, stipends and travel support should be entered on Line F
(Participant Support). Indirect costs are not allowed on participant
support costs, and there is no administrative allowance in lieu of indirect
costs. The amounts targeted for the NSF supplements for this cooperative
activity are $4,500 for each student (allocated as ten weekly stipends of
$400, and up to $500 for travel), and up to 2/9 academic year salary (up to
$12,000) for faculty. NSF will support up to 91 students and 13 faculty. Up
to $1,000 in additional participant support may be requested as reasonable
accommodation for unusual/extraordinary travel expenses incurred by persons
with disabilities. This additional request must be included and justified
in the submitted budget. DoE indicates that it provides reasonable
accommodation at its research facilities.
FastLane Contact(s): FastLane Help Desk, telephone: (703) 292-8040, e-mail:
fastlane@nsf.gov.
The PI must also send notification to NSF/EHR DOE-EHR@nsf.gov that the
FastLane request has been submitted. The notification should include the
PI's name, the grant to be supplemented by the seven-digit number, and the
cognizant NSF Program Officer for the award.
Also, the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program
Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period,
including information on supplement-based project participants (individual
and organizational), activities and findings, publications, and other
specific products and contributions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Requests for additional information or clarifications may be e-mailed to
DOE-EHR@nsf.gov.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most
fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible for
conducting their project activities and preparing the results for
publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such
findings or their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons
with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with
Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of
race, color, age, sex, national origin or disability shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance
from NSF, although some programs may have special requirements that limit
eligibility.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the GPG Chapter II,
Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of
proposals.
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and
cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics, and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the
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PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS
The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in
connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may
be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the
proposal review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or
obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the
administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers
and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to
other government agencies needing information as part of the review process
or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or
party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is
a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the
Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer
reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50,
"Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal
Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and
Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission
of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete
information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
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reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average
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comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative
Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.
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